Front operated switch



R. N. ROWE FRONT OPERATED SWITCH -2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR RAvMo Original Filed Oct. 12, 1938 ROWE;

. BY Y .Oct. 2.4, 1644. R ROWE I 22559 FRONT OPERATED svll'rcu Original Filed Oct. 12, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 RAYMo/v Rows,

Reissued Oct. 24, 1944 22,559 monrornaa'mn swrrcn Raymond N. Rowe, Plainvllle, Conn, assignor to The Trumbull Electric Manufacturing Company, Plainville, Conn., a corporation of Connectlcut Original No. 2,213,657, dated September 3,- 1940, Serial No. 234,528, October 12, 1938. Application for reissue November 28, 1941, Serial No.

Claims.

This invention relates to front operated switches, particularly to switches with dust proof enclosures.

. One object of my invention is to provide a type of switch box with an external operating handle which can be used to receive any suitable form of lever actuated switch.

' Another object is to provide switch throwing mechanism that is adapted to be used with a preassembled type of snap switch mechanism.

Another object is to provide an enclosed switch construction that can be actuated equally well with the cover either open or closed.

Another object is to provide a front operated enclosed switch in which the external switch throwing handle and associated parts are mounted on the cover of the box or receptacle and yet do not interfere with the closing of the cover regardless of the position of the-switch parts.

Another object is to provide a front operated enclosed switch in which the external switch throwing handle and associated parts are carried by the cover and movable therewith without disturbing the interior switch parts.

Another object is to provide a front operated enclosed switch with means for operatively connecting the external operating handleto the internal switch throwing mechanism while the cover is closed on the box.

Another object is to provide a front operatedenclosed switch with automatic means for moving the external switch throwing handle and associated parts to an "off" position upon the opening of the cover.

Another object is to provide switch throwing mechanism that is easily assembled and disassembled.

Another object is to provide such switch actuating mechanism that is simple and compact in.

construction and positive and certain inaction.

Another object is to provide such a front operated enclosed switch in which the cover and the external switch throwing mechanism form a unitary structure.

In the preferred form of my invention, the box is o! a conventional form but provided with a handle pivoted on the front of the cover and a movable member on the inside of the cover connected to the handle and provided with parts adapted to coact with the operating lever of a switch unitmoimtedinside oftbeboxinsucha way as to permit the cover to be closed regardless oi the position of the interior lever and to-ensure' automaticoperative connection of the outside handle with the mterior lsverwhen exterior handle is moved to a position to correspond with the position of the lever.

Fig. l is a front view of an enclosed front operated switch embodying one form of my invention, with part of the cdverbeing broken away to show part of the switch throwing mechanism.

Fig. 2 is a side view with part of the box being broken away to show the interior, the parts being shown in their operative relation.

Fig. 3 is a front view of the switch with the cover open to show the switch throwing mechanism carried on the inside of the cover, the details of the switch per se being omitted.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of my improved switch with the cover open.

Fig.5 is a view similar to Fig. 2 but showing In the form of my invention shown the box II) has a cover ll hinged at l2. The top edge of the box is provided with a felt or othersuitable gasket I3 to prevent dust etc. from entering into the box when the cover is closed.

The switch proper may be of any suitable type with its own contacts and conventional quick make and quick break mechanism actuated by a pivotally mounted lever or finger piece M such as that shown in the patents to B. E. Getchell ,NO. 1,886,477 01 N0. 1,831,239 or of the circuit breaker type of the Rowe patents, No. 2,102,545

or No. 2,126,412 and suitably mounted in the bodyof the box. I

A switch throwing handle I5 is pivoted to the cover on the outside and is connected to the arm I6 inside by means of a pair of pins or studs H which extend inwardly through the cover and pass through a washer or disc I8 interposed between the arm l6 and the cover.

Insideoi the cover II and slidably or otherwise suitably supported by grooved studs IB'is-a plate 20. Carried by this plate are two spring arms 2|, one end of each arm being fixed to the plate and its other end being free and normally bent away from the plate with a space tween the free ends of the arms.

The bifurcated lever or arm I6 is arranged on the inside or the cover audits bifurcated end the finger piece I! when the cover is closed and being of spring material yield when and if they come into contact with the end of the finger piece upon the closing of the cover. The arm 2| contacting the top of the lever or finger piece it upon closing the cover may be slid along it by the handle |5 until the arm slides off the.

lever M and the arms 2| become interlocked with said lever It. Further movement of the handle I5 will move the finger piece It and the switch parts to either "on or off position.

The arrangement of the parts preferably is such that upon opening movement of the cover, the weight of the parts will cause the plate and connected parts to fall by gravity to the ofi" circuit position of Fig. 1. This automatically places the switch throwing mechanism in proper position for operative connection with the switch actuating finger piece H which ordinarily will have been thrown to ofi" circuit position before the opening of the cover.

From Fig. 5 it will be seen that the cover can be closed even with the finger lever II in the on" position. The handle |5 may then be moved to the on" position. The handle I5 may then be moved to the on" position in which the spring .arms 2| will snap into connection with the lever l4.

A guard member 24 having an opening 25 for receiving a padlock or seal (not shown) may be 7 provided to secure the handle l5 if desired. The

cover may be held closed on the box by a screw 26 which is adapted to engage a screw threaded lug 21 on the inside of the box. The cover may be sealed to the box by a padlock or seal (not shown) passing through the openings 28 in the spaced lugs 29 directly over the head of screw 26.

It will be understood that the improved switch throwing mechanism may be used to actuate the movable switch member of any type of switch or circuit breaker which is operated by a front lever or toggle type handle.

The spring arms 2| permit the cover to be closed regardless of the position of the handle I5 or of the lever I because the arms yield and ride over the projecting end of the finger pieceif not in their proper operative positions and will automatically interlock as soon a the handle l5 ismoved sumciently.

In the modification shown in Figure '7 there is a box with a cover 3|, hinged at 32, and with a conventional cover catch or screw 33 for hold arcuate movement of the plate 35.

Secured to this plate are two spring arms 36, which are similar to the spring arms 2|, with their free ends bent away from the plate and spaced from each other to receive the lever or finger piece 31 of a switch 38. In this form, as in the other, in which the device is installed, as usual gravity will urge the switch throwing mechanism to the off" position illustrated in Figure '7. The spring arm will allow the cover to be closed even if the position of outer handle and inner lever do not coincide, and will also snap into engagement with the switch lever 31 when they are moved to proper position.

The box In and its openable hinged cover constitutes a housing for the switch or circuit interrupter. The actuating handle or lever I4 is pivoted in any suitable manner so that it may be oscillated by the rotative action of the operating handle IS. The sliding plate 20 has the opposed, inclined resilient or yielding arms 2| which interengage with the tip of the handle H to constitute a separable connection between the handles which is operable after the cover is closed to establish an operative connection between the handles by manually moving the operating handle to a position corresponding to that of the actuating handle irrespective of any initial difference of position of the handles.

I claim:

l. A front actuated enclosed switch including a box open at the front and having a cover hinged at one edge, switch mechanism mounted in the.

box and having an actuating lever with a. free end projecting toward the cover, a carrier movably supported by the cover at the inside of the cover, and movable therewith, spring pressed members carried by said carrier and having a space to receive the free end of the lever when the cover is closed, said members and said lever having coacting surfaces outside of said space shaped so that when the cover is closed said members will yield uponengaging said lever, and an external handle at the front of the cover connected to said carrier and moving the same to engage the lever in said space.

2. Ina front actuated switch, a box having a cover hinged thereto. switch mechanism within the box having an operating lever with an end projecting toward the cover, an actuating handle carried by the cover at the outer face thereof, a connecting device mounted on the inside of the cover and connected to the handle and including means at least a part of which is spring pressed toward the lever when the cover is closed, said means having a space to receive the end of the lever in certain positions, at least a part of said means engaging the lever and yielding toward the cover in case the cover is closedwhen the space is not in position to receive the end of the lever.

3. In a front actuated switch, a box having a cover hinged thereto, switch mechanism within the box having an operating lever with an end projecting toward the cover an actuating handle carried'by the cover at the outer face thereof, a connecting. device mounted on the inside of the cover and connected to the handle and including means at leasta part of which includes a flat inclined spring with a movable end, said means having a space adjacent said end to receive the end of the lever, said spring engaging the lever and yielding toward the cover in case the cover is closed when the space is not in position to receive the end of the lever. v

4. In a switch, a box having a cover hinged thereto, a circuit breaker in the box having a lever projecting toward the cover, a handle pivoted to the cover and movable therewith, a carrier mounted on the inside of the cover and connected to the handle, spring pressed connecting means A spi'ingI-rm.

carried 'by said carrier and normally pressed toward and engaging the lever when the cover is box including a pivoted finger piece for moving themovable switch member, a movable handle on the outside of said cover and means of connection between the handle and finger piece whereby said finger piece is actuated, said means including a member on said handle extending interiorly oi the cover, a plate movably supported on the inside of said cover and operatively connected to said handle, a pair of projections carried by said plate and adapted to be moved into position to actuate said finger piece and means to limit the movement of the plate, a spring arm support for at least one of the projections adapted to yield when the cover is closed while the finger piece is in the "on position and the handle is in the "01? position, said plate being then movable by means of the external handle to the on position'so as to position the projections on opposite sides of the switch lever. 6. An enclosed switch including a box, a movable cover for said box, switch mechanism in the box including a finger piece protruding from said mechanism for moving the movable switch member, a movable handle on the outside of said cover and normally disengageable means of connection between the handle and finger piece whereby said finger piece is actuated, said handle and means of connection being adapted to be automatically moved to ad circuit position upon the opening of the cover, said means of connection including two projections carried by the cover at least one of which consists of a spring arm adapted to yield when the cover is closed in case the finger piece is in a position to otherwise ohbetween the handle and finger piece whereby said finger piece is actuated including a slidable plate carried by the cover and adapted to be moved by gravity to "o position upon the opening of the cover whereby the operating handle is moved to "oil" position, said plate having two projections with a space between them to normally receive the tip oi the finger piece, at least one of said projections having a spring arm adapted to yield to permit the plate to be moved to a position in which the tip .of the finger piece can be received between the projections it the cover is closed when the finger piece is in line with the 8., An enclosed switch including a box, a movable cover for said box, switch mechanism inthe box including a finger piece for moving the movable switch member, a movable handle on the outside of said cover and means of connection between the handle and finger piece whereby said finger piece is actuated, said means including a member on said handle extending interiorly of the cover, an arm iast to said extension member, a plate slidably supported on the inside of said cover and operatively connected to said arm and a pair 0! spaced spring arms carried by said plate and adapted to be moved into position to engage said finger piece, said plate and first named arm being so arranged that the movable handle and associated parts are automatically moved to ofi" position upon the opening of the cover, said arms being resilient and yieldable to permit proper connection between the arms and the finger piece should the cover be closed when the arms are not imposition to normally engage the finger piece.

9. An enclosed switch including a box, a mov able cover for said box, switchmechanism in the box including a pivoted finger piece protruding from said mechanism for moving the movable switch member, a movable handle on the outside 01 the cover and means of connection between the handle and finger piece whereby said finger pieceis actuated, said means including a member on said handle extending interiorly of the cover, a slidable plate operativelyconnected to the handle and a pair 01 spring arms carried by said plate, each spring arm having one end fixed to said plate and its other end extending freely outwardly and toward the other arm, the

.iree ends of said spring arms being spaced from each other to receive the finger piece between them, said spring arms when the cover is closed being arranged so as to engage said finger piece and so as to be movedvinto interlocking engagement with the finger piece by the outside handle whereby movement of the plate will move the finger piece, said arms being yieldable to perin position to automatically engage.

10. A box for containing an electric switch having a pivoted actuating lever, said box hav- Y ing a body portion adapted to support the switch in a position with its actuating. lever projectin forwardly, a cover hinged to one edge of the box body, a handle pivoted to the cover on an axis perpendicular to the plane 01' the cover, a plate mounted onthe inside of the cover and connected to the handle so that the handle may move the plate, two spring arms carried by the plate and having free ends spaced apart from each other to receive the end of the actuating lever oi the switch when in place, said arms permitting proper engagement of should the cover be closed when they are not in position to engage automatically.

- RAYMOND N. ROWE. 

